| Newsletter 9th December 2006 | 
 | Contact 
      details | |||||
| East 
      Grinstead’s 
      new community radio station Meridian 
      FM began broadcasting a specialist folk, roots and acoustic programme 
      last Sunday, 3 December.  The 
      show was so well-received, it’s been extended to two hours, and now goes out at 
      8pm to 10pm. If you live in 
      the East Grinstead and surrounding area, tune into FM 87.7 - or alternatively listen 
      over the internet at www.meridianfm.com. |   |   For 
      more information on Acoustic Sussex 
      shows including sound 
      samples, 
      click on the artists' website links below or visit our   Sound 
      samples for John Tams (including radio  interview clip) and Edwina Hayes 
      playing now! | |||||
| As 
      well as some great tracks, this week’s show will feature interviews and 
      live sessions with two female musicians – local singer-guitarist with a 
      wonderful mellow voice, Julie 
      Roberts, and internationally renowned singer songwriter 
      Charlie Dore, who has 
      written for artists as diverse as Tina Turner, UB40, Celine Dion and even 
      George Harrison!.  Julie 
      will be in the studio around 8.20pm; Charlie just after 9pm, if all goes 
      to plan (which is not guaranteed!). | |||||||
| UPCOMING 
      EVENTS: |   |   | |||||
| Monday 
           | * 
      2006 BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year – John Tams John 
      Tams' 
      gift as a singer/songwriter is legend. His partnership with Barry Coope is pure delight - their 
      superbly paced set takes the audience on a memorable and wondrous journey 
      as they present an enthralling, humorous and ultimately moving testament 
      to the riches of England's popular musical 
      heritage. Winner 
      of a hat trick of awards in the 2006 
      BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, John will be remembered by many as 
      Daniel Hagman in the ITV Sharpe series - a role he played for five years 
      alongside Sean Bean. He also co-wrote the music for the 
      series. Earlier 
      this tear, John was musical director of the BBC Radio Ballads, an 
      updating of Ewan MacColl's 1957 Radio Ballads series. A year in the 
      making, John assembled a team of professional musicians drawn mostly from 
      the current folk music scene, as were the musicians in the original 
      Ballads. The six-part series was transmitted during February, March and 
      April 2006. John 
      has released three solo albums to date, 'Unity' (2001), 'Home' (2002) and 
      most recently, 'The Reckoning' (2005); all of which have met with 
      well-deserved critical acclaim.  "An absolutely fantastic album - I 
      love Amelia, love Safe House; I love it al l-  and Bitter Withy is out of this 
      world." “They 
      confound expectations.  Rich, 
      diverse, contemporary and utterly compelling.  It simply does not get any better 
      than this"   STOP 
      PRESS During 
      the evening, John will be presented with a special award from the Folk 
      Corporation. The award celebrates the best folk music that the 2,000+ 
      members the Corporation have seen and heard over the course of the 
      previous year. (For more information visit the Folk Corporation’s Talkawhile 
      Discussion Forum.) |   | |||||
| Support 
      for the show is provided by Edwina Hayes, a Dublin-born singer/songwriter 
      now residing in East Yorkshire, who has been a regular performer on both 
      the London and Nashville Acoustic scene since 1999. Her beautifully 
      crafted songs and mesmerising stage presence have led her to some of the 
      UK's finest stages including The Royal Albert Hall in London. | |||||||
| Friday 
           | The 
      Classic Rock Society recently presented 
      Dave Cousins with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Thirty 
      years on from their huge album chart successes, 'Grave New World' and 
      'Bursting at the Seams', the Strawbs now tour three times a year with an 
      acoustic line-up - Dave Cousins on guitar, dulcimer, banjo and vocals, 
      Dave Lambert on guitar and vocals, plus 70s band member Chas Cronk on 
      guitar, bass and vocals.  
       The 
      Strawbs have enjoyed major success on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 
      early 1970s, as well as the hit albums, their hit singles ‘Part of the 
      Union’ and ‘Lay Down’ topped the charts. From the mid-1970s they spent 
      more time in the States and Canada where their albums charted for five 
      years as they toured, among others, with Santana, The Eagles, Peter 
      Frampton, Blue Oyster Cult, Joe Walsh, King Crimson, and Frank Zappa. 
       Acoustic 
      Strawbs have recently toured Italy to critical acclaim and played three 
      nights at the Edinburgh Festival at the prestigious Music Hall in the 
      Scotsman Assembly Rooms.  Acoustic 
      Strawbs play classic Strawbs songs with the integrity and musicianship for 
      which the band has been always been 
      recognised. STOP 
      PRESS 
      The long-awaited Strawbs boxed set is released this month (copies will be 
      available to buy at the concert). Sourced from the Strawbs’ own archives, 
      it includes unreleased songs, demo versions, alternate mixes, and live 
      material. According to Witchwood Records, “it includes all the Strawbs tracks that ought 
      to be in a boxed set, but virtually none of the versions that even devout 
      fans will currently have in their 
      collection”.   |   |   | ||||
| Saturday 
         | SOLD 
      OUT BETH 
      NIELSEN CHAPMAN 
       Tickets for Beth 
      Nielsen Chapman's concert on 27th January are now sold out 
      (cancellations only).  
       The concert 
      on is a cancer charity 
      fund-raising event, which will coincide with an auction of an 
      electro-acoustic guitar (sponsored by Hobgoblin Music in Crawley) 
      - signed by a number of well-known musicians, which so far includes: Amy Wadge, Ralph 
      McTell, Tommy Emmanuel, Jacqui McShee, Nick Harper, Gretchen Peters, Clive 
      Gregson, Christine Collister, Dougie MacLean, Bob Fox, Billy Mitchell, 
      Dave Kelly, Al Stewart, Laurence Juber, Martha Tilston, Kris Delmhorst, 
      Pierre Bensusan, Martyn Joseph, Simon Nicol, Ric Sanders, Chris Leslie, 
      Gerry Conway, Karine Polwart, Steve Knightley and Phil Beer. 
       More details on 
      how to bid for the guitar will follow in 
      January. |   | |||||
|  | |||||||
| For 
      your future diaries.. | Future 
      dates in the 2007 Acoustic Sussex programme: Ø    
      9 
      February 2007, Keith James – Songs of 
      Nick Drake  (see 
      website) Ø    
      26 
      February 2007, Anais 
      Mitchell (see 
      website) Ø    
      12 
      March 2007, Thea Gilmore (see 
      website) Ø    
      26 
      March 2007, Richard 
      Durrant  (see 
      website) Ø    
      30 
      April 2007, Charlie Dore 
       (see 
      website) Ø    
      4 
      June 2007, Vin Garbutt  (see 
      website) More 
      information on all up-and-coming artists can be found on our website: www.acousticsussex.org.uk. You 
      can also find us on MySpace (with samples from some of the artists 
      appearing) at: www.myspace.com/acoustic_sussex. 
      If you know anyone who you think may enjoy our events, please forward this 
      email to them. |   |      UNSUBSCRIBE | ||||